... to my GP said her "lung volume showed a markedly increased residual volume and total lung capacity with reduced gas transfer. Those changes are consistent with emphysema and I don't think we need to pursue this any further". ... (3 replies)

... I had a lung function test which showed my test results were consistent with emphysema but my doctor said that because I have never smoked there is no reason to further investigate this. ... (3 replies)

... Please, please stop smoking. My husband has had the same thing for at least 15 yrs and continues to smoke. U will be running with the grandkids if u stop cigs now. I am 56, an hv just been diagnosed will lung lesions after an abdomenal ct scan. I got on the stop smoking pill 13 days ago. Went from atleast a pk a day to 1 cig. A day, without problems. By next week i should be a... (2 replies)

... Once you quit smoking your lung declines to the same rate as a non-smoker. All of us lose lung function as we age, it is just part of aging. If we have less to begin with due to smoking then it will affect us more. I have known very few people that actually smoke only 10 cigarettes a day regardless of what they say. Maybe she does but it is very unusual. Yes, that much can... (9 replies)

... I don't have emphysema, but I get bronchitis fairly often. Do you?
Two freinds of mine (they are sisters) have emphysema; they are in their late forties. Both also have asthma and bronchitis. One stopped smoking, and although she has emphysema, the asthma attacks have stopped, and she has gone from having bronchitis 4 times a year for 3 weeks to once a year for about two... (1 replies)

... I would get a second opinion. There are other medical conditions that can affect lung function. But I'm curious, what were your symptoms that made you seek a doctor? Were you coughing, having trouble breathing? There are certain numbers on a lung function test that do indicate emphysema. Do you know what they were? You mentioned you worked in a paper mill? Do you wear... (10 replies)

... If you are seeing a chest dr (lung specialist) they should tell you what your lung capacity is. My father has emphysema, and has gone through the breathing test, then they tell him automatically what his lung capacity is-----I would say if you arent being told this answer, you either need to ask, or find a better dr. (10 replies)

... I am a 36-year old who has never even TRIED a cigarette in my life. I was just diagnosed with emphysema. My lungs are working at 47% capacity. The doctor says that I have the lungs of a person who has smoked for 40 years!! He says that some catastrophic event in my life must have effected my lungs and there is nothing that he can do for me. I am scared . . . I do not know what... (10 replies)

... Please investigate this further with a pulmonolgy (lung) dr. You definitely need to be tested for Alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency because if that is your problem you will go downhill quickly. It is an inexpensive blood test and can also be ordered online from their official site.
Did you have complete pulmonary function tests, or just the spirometry? (3 replies)

... Hi Kelli,
This sounds very close to what I am going through.All though I have severe emphysema,the squeezing of the lung or lungs, is simular to what I have been told may be a pneumo thorax.Which is air trapped in the chest cavity and halts the expansion of the lung,so it feels like someone is squeezing your lung.I am going to the hospital on wednesday to get an x-ray or a... (2 replies)

... Since I moved to the Northwest 10 years ago at age 42, I have experienced intermittent SOB. I've never smoked (but was exposed to 2nd hand smoke when younger), have been in good health all my life, and the only diagnosis I've had is mild cervical stenosis. Family history: Father --heavy smoker --dx'd asthma, died from COPD age 74; mother -- died from lung cancer age 67, son --... (1 replies)

... Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency, I was just going to suggest this also. You can do a search online to learn a little more about it. And you definitely need to be under the care of a pulmonologist for this, as this is the kind of doctor you'll need to give you the best possible care.
Please take care, and let us know how you are. (10 replies)

... thma can "turn into" emphysema, no. They are two completely different diseases. However, a person can have a combination of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Emphysema is usually caused by smoking, but not always. There is an inherited form, alpha antitrypsin, and you can get it whether you have smoked or not. ... (2 replies)

... COPD is not like lung cancer -- in which I mean, a diagnosis of COPD doesn't belie any specific kind of seriousness.
To put this in perspective, consider that everyone, no matter how healthy or non-smoker or active-lifestyled, will develop SOME COPD-like changes in their airways as they age.
This means that COPD can be very very mild, causing almost no symptoms or only... (2 replies)